


For You, I Would Breath Underwater

by ChloeGreen1998



Series: KuroKen files [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, M/M, confession fic, i love kuroken with my whole heart, it gets fluffy in the end i promise, they are bad at feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:22:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27388648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChloeGreen1998/pseuds/ChloeGreen1998
Summary: Kuroo is graduating and Kenma is hopelessly in love with him. It hadn't even hit him yet that no Kuroo meant a third year full of loneliness, no more sneaking into his house in the middle of the night. All he could think about is how he never got the chance to tell Kuroo how he felt and that this was his final chance before he replaces him with Bokuto, both of them leaving Kenma and Akaashi to fend for themselves.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: KuroKen files [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2000806
Comments: 3
Kudos: 78





	For You, I Would Breath Underwater

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Caffeinevampire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caffeinevampire/gifts).



> So hello and welcome to the start of a new series. It's going to be Kuroken based but there probably will be spinoff fics based around Bokuto & Akaashi but anyway, my best friend Jess' favourite ship is Kuroken and basically I'm dedicating this collection to her bc she deserves soft kuroken!

Kenma knew that the day Kuroo graduated would be painful. This was the second time he'd gone through this, seeing Kuroo move on without him, always a year ahead, but, this was more painful because Kuroo wasn't just graduating this time, he was leaving for university an hour train journey away. An hour might not seem like a lot but to Kenma, it may as well have been the other side of the world.

It hadn't even hit Kenma yet that Kuroo leaving meant a year on his own in high school, a year on his own on the volleyball team without his biggest cheerleader, a year without seeing Kuroo in the school halls everyday when he was struggling the most. Kuroo was leaving and he wasn't coming back, he wouldn't be coming back to the house next door, he'd be living in an apartment with Bokuto whilst Kenma and Akaashi were left behind, hopelessly pining and equally lonely. It wasn't just that Kenma was losing his best friend, he was also losing the man he was secretly in love with without ever having the courage to actually say those words to him.

Once nationals was over, graduation seemed to approach at lightning speed. Everyday seemed to feel like it was about five minutes long because it was a day closer to losing Kuroo. The two of them had agreed that they would keep in contact sure and that they would go and see each other when they could but Kenma knew that it couldn't last forever. One day, the two of them would be busy and then they'd stop contacting each other and stop seeing each other and that's what Kenma feared the most. He didn't want to lose his best friend and he was so scared that in less than a year, he definitely would.

"Kenma!" Kuroo shouted, running up to stand by Kenma's side. "I thought I could almost see a tear in your eye during the ceremony," Kuroo joked, bumping shoulders with his best friend. Kenma just hummed, in reality, he had shed a tear or maybe a few, seeing Kuroo up there bought out so many conflicting feelings within him, he was so proud of Kuroo and happy for him but he couldn't help the sadness that crept around his heart too. "You're being quieter than usual."

"I'm just thinking about next year, about the volleyball team, about being in school without you there." Kenma admitted quietly, picking at the skin around his fingers like he did when he was anxious.

"Hey, stop overthinking. You're going to be okay, you don't really need me here. You'll be okay, I promise." Kuroo assured him, resting his hand on Kenma's shoulder. 

Kenma could feel the tears that were beginning to form in the corners of his eyes again. Kuroo thought that Kenma didn't need him? He was completely wrong. Kenma needed Kuroo and his reassurances and his friendship more than Kenma was ever going to be able to explain. All he wanted to do was grab Kuroo's hands, kiss him and never ever let go but he couldn't seem to sum up the courage to do that.

"I'm not sure that I'm ready."

"Kenma, look at me," Kuroo turned so he was facing his best friend and knocked his shoulder until they were looking at one another. "You are strong, you are so clever and you can do this. I believe in you. Only one more year and then before you know it, we'll be looking for an apartment for the four of us. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Are you coming to my party tonight?"

"Of course."

"Good. I'll see you at seven okay? You're going to be okay." Kenma didn't say anything, just watched as Kuroo walked away from him for what was going to be one of the last times. His graduation grown flowed freely behind him and it made him look even more majestic then he normally did, Kenma thought. He wished that he could make his legs run after him and just tell him how he feels, that's all he wants to do but he doesn't. He just watches Kuroo walk away from him yet again.

-

"How did it go?" Akaashi's voice provided Kenma with something to focus on that wasn't his own sadness but his question on the other hand, did not.

"It didn't. I couldn't tell him Akaashi."

"Kenma, you have to. You'll be miserable if you don't. I know it's scary, believe me, I'm pretty sure I sweat out half of my bodily water through my palms when I spoke to Bokuto. I have seen the way Kuroo looks at you and have for the past two years, I'm telling you, he likes you back."

"You don't know that for certain, it's not like you've randomly gone up to him and been like hey Kuroo do you like Kenma because he's hopelessly in love with you."

"Well no but trust me on this, that boy is smitten for you." Kenma then heard a loud voice calling Akaashi's name, he didn't have to be a genius to recognise the voice of Fukurodani's loud ace and Akaashi's now boyfriend, Bokuto. Kenma swore that you'd be able to hear Bokuto's voice from a mile away but sometimes it was kind of nice he guessed, especially when him and Kuroo were shouting at each other and Kenma could just stand and roll his eyes at the pair of them. He was happy for Akaashi, happy that he'd finally told the owl haired ace how he felt, he deserved to be happy and it was obvious how in love with Akaashi Bokuto was but it also made him feel a pang of jealousy and sadness.

"Bokuto, I'll be there in a second, hang on."

"You can go it's fine." Kenma mumbled, sighing.

"Kenma, I promise you, this is going to be okay. Now go and tell that dumbass cat how you feel about him okay?"

"Okay."

"Text me later."

"I will, have a good night Akaashi."

"You too Kenma, keep your head up, I'll talk to you later." Kenma didn't know why he stood looking at the blank screen of his phone for at least five minutes after Akaashi had hung up. He took a deep breath to calm himself down before picking out an outfit for Kuroo's party. He was glad that it was only a small party, mostly consisting of the Nekoma volleyball team and some of Kuroo's other classmates, at least Kenma would know the majority of people that were there and he would probably spend most of the night in the corner on his phone anyway.

Most people were already gathered around Kuroo's kitchen and living room by the time Kenma actually walked through the door. He spotted Kuroo straight away, laughing away at something him and Yaku were discussing and by the way they kept glancing at Lev, he guessed they were talking about him. Kenma gave a small, awkward wave when Kuroo spotted him before he headed towards the sofa and sat down, his knees pulled to his chest and his phone in his hand.

It must have been around an hour before Kuroo sat himself down next to Kenma, resting his head against his. Kenma could tell that Kuroo was slightly drunk and he didn't blame him, this was his graduation party after all. Kenma dropped his phone in his lap and tried his best not to move so Kuroo wouldn't move away from him.

"Kenma, you're so pretty."

"And you're drunk," Kenma replied, pushing himself away from the third year. He was about to get up when Kuroo reached out and grabbed his hand, keeping him in place. "Was there something else Kuroo because I want to go home?"

"What's with the tone all of a sudden? I know I'm a little tipsy but I meant what I said, you're pretty Kenma. Yes, I had to get a little drunk to tell you that but it's because I've been wanting to say it and chickening out for the past two years." Kenma couldn't actually believe what he was hearing, was Kuroo trying to confess to him? This was meant to be the other way around and he couldn't quite get his head around it.

"You're pretty too Kuroo."

"I'm scared about moving away, I don't want to leave you, what if you forget about me?" Hearing that Kuroo had the same anxieties Kenma did, broke his heart a little but also made him feel a little hopeful. Maybe this wasn't going to be as disastrous as Kenma had first thought when he decided he was going to confess today.

"I won't forget about you Kuroo, if anything, you'll forget me."

"I could never do that Kenma, you're my best friend AND I'm in love with you so I won't ever forget you."

"You're what?"

"I'm in love with you, did you not get that when I called you pretty?"

"You're in love with me?" Kenma was in absolute disbelief, Kuroo was in love with him. The man he'd been in love with for so much time was also in love with him? For two whole years, they'd been in love with each other for two whole years. "Y-you're in love with me? This isn't some kind of sick joke is it because if it is, I'll never speak to you again Kuroo and I mean that."

"Why would I joke about this? I know you probably don't like me back but I needed you to know before I moved away. You can hate me, I'm sorry if I do but I needed to tell you I'm sorry, I'll go now, I'm sorry." Kenma tried to stop him but Kuroo ran off towards the kitchen. Kenma just sat there for a few seconds trying to gather his thoughts. Kuroo was in love with him, he smiled to himself softly, Kuroo was in love with him.

Reality soon came crashing back down and Kenma jumped up from the sofa. Nobody but Yaku seemed to have noticed their conversation on the sofa and threw Kenma a small thumbs up and then pointed towards the back door. Kenma nodded at the liberto before he ran outside to see Kuroo sat by the side of the house, knees to his chest muttering to himself.

"You're so stupid Kuroo, why would you confess? Now you've ruined your friendship forever of course he doesn't like you back."

"You are so stupid Kuroo because of course I like you back. I've liked you for like two years you dummy, I was just too scared to tell you because I was scared of losing you." Kenma said, standing in front of the shaking boy in front of him. "You ran off and didn't give me a chance to say anything. I just needed two seconds to process what had actually come out of your mouth, I couldn't handle it if you were lying to me."

"Why would I lie to you?"

"I don't know I just never thought it was possible that you'd like me back."

Kuroo was silent for a minute, looking up at the moonlight reflecting on Kenma's face. "Can I kiss you?"

"Of course, come here," Kenma helped Kuroo to his feet before Kuroo's lips were suddenly crashing onto his. Kenma melted into the kiss softly, kissing him back with as much passion. This was really happening, he was outside in the moonlight actually kissing Kuroo.

"Does this mean I get to show off my amazing boyfriend now?"

"No because I will be showing off MY amazing boyfriend. I'm dating a college student does that make me popular?"

"You're already popular silly, look at all of the people in there."

"A lot of them will also be leaving in a couple weeks Kuroo."

"Yes but we'll still see them! And, you will still see me, every weekend we can switch between me coming here and you coming to see me depending on which one of us is the busiest with homework and practice."

"Woah, Kuroo calm down. We can figure things out later okay? I just want to know that we won't leave each other."

"Of course we won't. I have you now and I don't ever plan on letting you go again." Kenma didn't answer, just softly kissed Kuroo's lips again, feeling a pure happiness creep around his heart, replacing all of the sadness he'd been feeling for the last couple weeks. "We should probably go back inside before people realise that we've been out here for a long time."

"Do we have to? I want to stay here with you."

"I could kick everyone out in an hour and you could stay here tonight?" Kenma nodded, smiling. He sent Kuroo back inside before sending a quick text to Akaashi and following him back to the their friends. Kenma could get used to this, he had Kuroo and he had his friends. That's all he needed.

-

"I am exhausted," Kuroo exclaimed, flopping face first onto his bed. Kenma rolled his eyes, shoving him so that Kenma could crawl and curl up beside him. "I can't believe today happened, I feel like a lot happened today Kenma, am I dreaming?"

"First of all, a lot did happen Kuroo. You graduated today. And second of all, no you are not dreaming but you do desperately need sleep so maybe we should get on that soon."

"It's hot when you're all assertive Kenma."

"How is that assertive? Me telling you that you should sleep?" Kenma frowned as Kuroo laughed at him, placing a soft kiss on the blonde's nose. "You are pushing your luck Kuroo. You'll be sleeping on your own soon."

"It's my bed."

"I'll still kick you out," Kuroo laughed loudly and Kenma couldn't hide the small smile that graced his lips at the sound, he loved it when Kuroo laughed, it was one of his absolute favourite sounds. He just curled up against Kuroo, resting his head against his stomach, eyes softly closing.

"Goodnight Kenma, I love you." Kuroo whispered, running his fingers through Kenma's hair before placing a kiss on the top of his head.

"I love you too Kuroo," Kenma mumbled before succumbing to sleep.

Kenma's phone was left forgotten on the side table as it lit up with a new text from Akaashi. "I told you it'd be fine."

**Author's Note:**

> So this is it, the first fic in my Kuroken series, I'm actually really proud of this one and I have so, so many ideas for Kuroken and their adventures to come so please if you want to read more, maybe bookmark the series that would mean a lot to me. 
> 
> Kenma having a crisis over the fact that Kuroo has been in love with him for two years has the same energy as Alex from Julie and the Phantom's "I'VE BEEN CRYING FOR TWENTY FIVE YEARS"
> 
> I hope you like it and as always feedback is always appreciated!
> 
> Look after yourselves!! x


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